Rating World Leaders: 2016

Although 61% of Americans disapprove of their own country's leadership, the world continues to give the U.S., under President Barack Obama, the highest approval rating among major world powers today.

As many countries seek better cooperation amid rising international tensions, leaders should take note of what the world thinks. While foreign policy may not hinge on public opinion, public opinion could affect policies and partnerships between leaders -- and international relationships.

Only 1%

of Russians approved of U.S. leadership in 2015 -- the worst rating in the world in any year.

Majorities in four EU member countries disapprove of the leadership of the EU:

Greece, Cyprus, Italy and the U.K., which voted to leave the bloc in early 2016.

Median Approval Ratings:

45%

U.S.

43%

Germany

39%

EU

30%

China

24%

Russia

The amount of influence a country has that gets other countries to cooperate with them because they want to -- not because they have to -- is becoming more important as international tensions rise and foreign policy grows more complex.

Gallup's Rating World Leaders: 2016 report provides leaders a snapshot of how the world views the leadership in the U.S., China, Russia, the EU and Germany, closely looking at how countries in the international headlines rate them.